Welcome to Everwood Autumn August Wood
by Rhysie Wood
Summary: Chapter ~*7*~ up, Ephram and Autumn finally kiss but it puts Autumns whole life into perspective and she thinks about taking her sister up on an offer to leave, Ephram spelling error is fixed now.. I had to reprogram word so you better be happy! :-P
1. Welcome to Everwood

The Wood family sat in their new Mercedes station wagon that was packed with stuff and drove into the small town with varied expectations. Why were they here? The three kids that sat in the back including the ever- pessimistic Autumn were completely clueless. All they knew was that they came back from visiting their cousin's in England and everything was packed in boxes. "Welcome to Everwood" Their dad the prestigious Dr. Albert Wood said as they drove passed the entire down town in less than ten minutes. Everwood at first glance seemed a one-doctor town to Autumn with no need for specialists such as her father and no need for her mother the ballet dancer turned lawyer and no dace program for her. Winter her older brother flicked the back of her head when they pulled in the driveway of their new home. "We have to get to school c'mon," He said as he got out of the back. He was her fathers pride and joy, all he did was football, football, and football. His grades sucked, but he was on the foot ball team so magically every quarter he managed to pull a c average so he could play and take the stupid team to states. Now that wasn't going to work, no football here so he was just as up set as she was. She opened the back and hopped out. They had been driving for three days she was sick of her family and the yellow lines on the road. Her book bag was next to her she picked it up and slammed the back and looked at the house. It looked like a post card. She then looked across the street to find a boy sitting on a porch swing watching them get out of the car. Speaking of cars the other cars were already in the driveway. Autumn checked her watch and sighed it was only seven in the morning and already she was tired. "Dad can you pull out the wagon, I need to get to school," she said as she tapped her foot and ran over to her pride and joy her 1974 midnight blue Mercedes 450SL. She unlocked her convertible and tossed her bag in the back on the little bench that could pass as a backseat. Her father turned and looked at her. "Don't you want to go and see which one is your room? Or at least have breakfast?" He father asked as he paused on their porch. "No, I want to get to school, you never cared about me eating before why care now?" She screamed as she took her bag out of her car and slammed the door. "I'll walk" she said as she started off down the small street. She was so absorbed in her own world that she bumped into the boy from across the street. "Whoa there" He said in a bland voice as he took a step back. She looked at him and shook her head and almost laughed. He didn't look like a boy from a small little hopeless town. He was tall with dark red hair and cold blue eyes, and he was pale like inner city Goth pale. "You just said whoa there, I think I'm gonna keep walking" she said as she started down the street. "Hey are you going to the high school?" He called after her she turned around. "Yeah, what's it to you?" "I go there too, by the way my name's Ephraim," He said as he awkwardly grasped at the strap of his book bag. "Autumn" She said as she turned back around and started to walk off again like some bad cheesy teen movie. 


	2. Alone, a state of mind

--Autumn

                Life well what people with out one call life, is a realization. You wake up one morning it has to be a gray dull morning but nonetheless you wake up and after realizing you are not at home anymore. Well you are at home but it's not the home you want to be in. You're in your new home in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do but sit on your bed and watch cartoons on a Saturday morning when all of your friends are having fun in Cleveland going to a movie or on their way to some stupid concert in New York or Toronto.

                So as I sit on my bed with my box of lucky charms in my lap as I watch an old super man cartoon. My brother knocks on my door. He is as all of us are -except little Spring majorly- pissed off about moving here.

     "Gutten Morgen mein Bruder" I said in German as my brother sat down next to me. I hated all six feet of him. He was annoying but in a time when we both knew nothing but our family in this town we were more civil to each other.

     " Isn't more like Gutten tag shrimp girl?" he said as he sat down on my bed. Shrimp girl my most beloved nickname.

     "Whatever all I know is it's boring whatever time that it is" I said as I collapsed back on my bed.

     "No ballet huh?" He said as he cracked a smile I nodded.

     "Some girl that was hitting on me in my math class said there's a dance troop here, You should join" he said as he tussled my hair.

     "But it's not the NYYB" I said as I sat up. He was already down the hall.

     "There is never gonna be another NYYB especially in Colorado shrimp" He called before he closed the door to his room. His words hung in the air. Maybe there wasn't going to be another NYYB or the MYB. This hurt me for a moment before I looked around and saw my rifle leaning against the wall. I grabbed my box of shells and headed outside in my pajamas. The police issue target was set up out side.  I loaded it and took twenty steps back and fired. BANG. A dog barked in the distance I hit the target. 

                I continued to do this until I noticed some of the neighbors poking their heads out of their windows. I yawned. This was all so boring. I stopped and turned around. Across the street stood a bewildered doctor Brown. I smiled and waved. I had some how made it all the way to the front of the house with out missing one single shot it was a record. I yawned and put my rifle on the porch before the good doctors son confronted me.

     "You're in my Biology class" Ephraim said stuffing his hands into his coat pockets.

     "And?" I replied as I stretched a bit before looking around the yard.

     "You weren't in class, well you haven't been to class," He said as I picked up some stick off of the yard.

     "So?" I then sat on my porch and looked up at him. His eyes were pale like the sky.

     "Well not being in class can't be good for your GPA, and it can have long term effects" I smiled

     "And you're one to talk Ephraim Brown? I know you have skipped school several times in the last couple of months, well the last year that you have gone to this school, And I know that you went to Denver every time to look at some kid named Collin with that blonde girl Amy Abbott the other doctors daughter" He just looked at me for a moment a sly side look.

     "And you know this how?"  I smiled and stood.

     "I would say that I am Psychic **BUT** I'm not I will say how ever that I, Autumn August Wood know you"- I started to straighten the collar of his jacket- "Ephraim Brown better than" – I leaned in close- "you know your self" I whispered with I little smile I then started for the door and turned around to find Ephraim still standing dumb founded at what I had just done.

     "Oh yeah, and it's amazing what's on the Internet these days" I said as I grabbed my rifle and went in the house.

                My brother was in the kitchen I could hear his kitchen music blaring in my ears, some old song by sum 41. I put my rifle in the closet and ran into the kitchen my brother was peering out of the blinds watching Ephraim walk across the street.

     "Winter Decmeber Wood where you spying on me!?" I screamed as I threw a pillow at him. He smiled with out saying a word.

     "Autumn and Goth kid sittin' in a tree can't wait till I tell ca-airy" Winter sang as I passed him. Cairy was my friend from Cleveland who was super obsessed with being a social elitist. If she heard that I had even spoken to a Goth she would never speak to me again. The question is why should I care if she is in fact several hundred miles away, and I am the most interesting thing at this high school.

     "So you haven't been going to school? Dad is gonna kill you!" Winter said as Spring my little sister sprinted down the stairs and ran to the back door holding her favorite stuffed animal.

     "Hold it munchkin" I yelled as she zipped passed me. I sighed and she stopped. "Where do you think you're going?" I inquired tapping my foot. My little sister looked exactly like my mother, black hair, green eyes and super olive. Her long black hair was tied by as always into two crooked braids. She turned around and frumped with a frown.

     "I'm going to Delia's!" She declared with a smile as she looked at me.

     "The store? Isn't that in Ohio?" I said confused as munchkin shook her head.

     "No, Delia lives across the street from us,"

     "Ephraim has a little sister?"

     "Yup, and dad went to school with her dad"

     "What?"  Winter stepped in the kitchen and pulled a can of pop out of the refrigerator.

     "Bye Spring, have fun at Delia's" Winter said waving. He flicked me in the head and put the now empty pop can down on the counter.

     "I didn't appreciate that," I said as he grabbed his football off of the table. "What? Where are you going?"

     "To go play foot ball in the park with Bright"

     "You made a friend?" I said laughing.

     "We can't all be anti-social like you Aught, I'll be back at six or something"

     "Fine" I screamed as I tossed his empty pop can out and ran up the stairs. I figured I might as well change into something else besides Scooby-doo pajama pants and a turquoise tank top. I showered and threw on a pair of jeans low rise and a gray turtleneck sweater seeing as it was mid-fall I didn't feel like freezing my self completely.

                I went outside and stood on the porch for a while. My mom was at work in Denver and my father was away "in town" setting up his new office. He was a Physiologist who had toyed too much with the Idea of being a real doctor.

                Spring was playing across the street with Delia. I after much deliberation decided to walk over. I didn't even need to look both ways I just walked. I could hear that no cars were coming. Spring instantly looked up at me.

     "Aught, This is Delia! She's in my class, her brother knows you" Spring said with a grin as she looked up at me.

     "Hi, Delia, I'm Autumn, Springs older sister, I go to school with Ephraim" I said as I waved with a little smile. Just then Ephraim came out and stopped dead in his tracks. He blushed when he saw me.

     "Hi, Autumn," Delia said back in little kid fashion. I looked at Ephraim and smiled before starting over to where he stood.

     "I need the notes for biology," I said as I put my hands in my pocket he nodded.

     "Do you ever plan on going to Biology" Ephraim said as he lead me in side the first thing that caught my eye was the piano.  I walked over to it and just looked at it.

     "You play?" He asked as he went about rummaging through his bag.

     "I did, until… never mind," I said as I shook my head. "Do you play?" I said as I sat down at the bench and lifted up the key cover. He walked back in the room holding three notebooks. I started playing Beethoven's second. I only played half of it and it was only the half that I remembered. I then stopped and looked up at him.

     "You play so well, why did you stop?" He asked as he sat down next to me. I smiled a little.

     "I don't think you know me well enough for that to warrant an answer, my dad doesn't even know why, but that doesn't say much now does it?" I uttered ruefully as I closed the key cover.

     "I know how you feel"

     "No I don't think you do," I said as I stood and walked over to the door. "Look, just e-mail me the notes" I said as I stretched and looked at the door.

     "I think I know it better than you do, when we first moved here my mom had just died a month before my dad grew this nasty beard and I still managed to be nice to people in general, and make a friend, but you, you come here and all you do is bitch from moment one, it's not like you're alone or anything" he screamed as he stood and walked over

     "How would you know if I was alone or not?" I screamed back firmly holding my ground. "You don't know what you think you bump into me one day and all of a sudden you are something in my life?  Ephraim brown, you know nothing about me, and when I say nothing I mean nothing" I said as I shoved him. He stood there and took it.

     "I know why your Mom and Dad choose Everwood and I know why you are no longer in Cleveland so obviously I know more about your life at the moment than you do"

     "Try me!" I said crossing my arms.

     "I know that before you went away over the summer and before your school year ended you had been pre-excepted by Julliard and that not even a month after I know that your mother lost her job at the firm she was working for and she fell into a depression and her therapist told her that she needed to get out of the city, and that's why your father dropped everything to start a private practice here, and your mom only works three days a week in Denver before coming home and making your life hell, and your dad choose Everwood because my Dad and your Dad are friends" I stood in disbelief as he screamed those words at me. I felt my eyes get watery- Just don't cry- they got dry again- wimp I knew you'd cry- and a tear rolled down my cheek.

     "Goodbye Ephraim" I said as I turned he put his hand on my shoulder.

     "Wait, look I'm sorry I was being a total ass" he said as he shook his head.

     "I could see that, but I really have to go"

     "Why?"

     "Because if I stay here I'm going to hit you" I said as I opened the door and slammed it. Delia and Spring were playing in the leaves. I walked right passed them and walked across the street to my safe haven the empty house.


	3. Psychotic or not Psychotic

---Ephraim,

                My dad came home the night I had the fight with Autumn while I was cooking diner. He paused at the door and looked at me like he was about to offer me some "fatherly" advice or at least try to. But Delia saved me from all that. She zipped into the kitchen and instantly started begging him to let Autumn's little sister spend the night. I watched as he as usual caved in. 

                I slammed the oven door and tried to leave the room before he could notice but as usual he caught me on my way out.

     "Ephraim what's wrong?" He asked as usual trying to seem sympathetic

     "Like you care" I replied as I sat down at the table

     "No something's wrong, usually I have time to get farther than the welcome mat before you start yelling at me"

     "It's nothing" I said as Delia ran in smiling. She hopped up on one of the chairs followed by Autumn's little sister.

     "Ephraim's mad 'cause he made Autumn cry" Delia said as Spring's eyes locked with mine.

     "You made Aught cry? What did you do?" Spring said as she hopped off of the table I stared at her and shook my head.

     "I-I didn't make her cry"

     "Al and Mary's, Autumn?" Dad stared off for a moment like he was having on of his episodes again. I nodded. He suddenly got loud and aggressive "Go over there and apologize, before Al gets home and I don't want to hear anything about it." I had never seen him so upset before. Spring and Delia looked at each other I shook my head and grabbed my coat.

                I had to have stood on the porch for at least an hour. Staring at the light blue house. There was one light on in the whole house. It looked sinister with the one light on in the attic it made it seem like eyes were peering back at me. I couldn't help but to wonder what pissed my dad off so bad. It took a while for me to work up the courage to walk across the street and stand on the porch. 

                I knocked on the door and almost instantly Autumn opened the door. She had her black hair pulled back in a high ponytail and she was still wearing her sweater. Her eyes were red rimmed.

    "look Autumn I'm sorry" She tapped her nails on the door frame.

     "I know" she said with an omnicent smile as she slammed the door in my face. I stood there for a moment and knocked on the door again. She opened it again.

     "What now?" she said shaking her head.

     "Nothing, I just well-"

     "I am watching lord of the rings you have ten minutes"

     "I'm sorry"

     "You said this already stop wasting my time" She slammed the door and I gave up and went home.

                So I went home and went to school. By third period I had noticed something, Autumn had actually came to school. It was a miracle. And as I entered the class and sat down I looked out side.

                She stood in the hall looking at the door to the classroom of which I of course already sat. She looked frightened like the doe that sat on my porch last year. She swallowed and walked into the room all eyes were on her and her tight pink sweater. Amy started murmuring to her friends while Autumn sat next to me.

     "I thought you wanted to kill me", I said as she shook her head crossed her ankles and looked at me. Her eyes seemed slightly out of place too gray to be on her tan face maybe or too wide.

     "I'm sorry, I was just really pissed off, I'm good now, I think" She said as the teacher started to take roll.

     "Autumn Wood?" the teacher called looking around Autumn raised a pink nailed hand and smiled "How nice of you to join us Miss Wood" The teacher said before going on.

     "You think?" I whispered with a smile as she put her head down and yawned.

     "I think," she said nodding as she closed her eyes. She slept the whole period till the end when I kicked her desk to wake her up when the teacher called on her. Her head went up,

"The reason why the pH of rain is acidic is because the H2O inn the atmosphere breaks down when water vapor is formed and that extra H makes it more acidic because there aren't as many bases being added to it" her head slumped down again and the bell rang. She gathered her stuff and stood.

     "I've got lunch next how bout you?" she said as she stretched

     "I've got lunch too, but why the change, this isn't some elaborate plan to poison me is it?" I inquired as she smiled and hook her head.

    "No, if I was going to poison you I wouldn't be so blunt about it I'd offer you a mint" she said as she stopped at a locker opened it, shoved her back pack in and took out a little black purse and slammed the locker shut. She pulled a pair of car keys out of her purse and a roll of certs. "Mint?" she said flashing a smile I just looked at her. She had to be kidding.

     "if you were me would you take a mint from you?" I said as we walked down the now crowded hall.

     "Good point, hey wanna drive to the diner with me?" She said as she stood in the doorway. She smiled and pouted slightly.

     "Sure, why not" So you're going to get into a car with this girl, good luck.

     "You don't mind really loud music do you?" She said as she unlocked her car and got in. The car was beautiful and on the inside it was equally cool as I threw my books on the little bench in the back and sat down in the cream leather seat.

     "No, not really" I said as I nodded she then leaned over and opened the glove compartment. She pulled out a magazine or something and closed it.

     "I completely forgot about this thing… It's Manga, Spring told me last night that you had a bunch of them an I have a bunch of extras, it's Rama ½" she said as she tossed the book in my lap and put the keys in the ignition. Instantly music started blaring as I flipped through the pages it was loud music something by the strokes. We drove past a house and out side was a banner that read 'Welcome home Collin', instantly I thought about how I had been neglecting Amy, but she wasn't really mine to neglect now was she. All those thoughts went out of my head when I noticed that Autumn had stopped the car and she was staring straight a head.

     "Look, I hope I haven't just freaked you out or anything, but I need to tell this to someone, and you're the closest thing to some one that I know seeing as most people here hate me" She said with a forced smile as she looked at me her eyes looked glassed over almost.

     "Oh, I'm not freaked out, I'm just pulled off to the side of the road with a girl a barely know who said her self that she would if given the chance would try to kill me"

     "That was yester day," She said  shaking her head "hear me out Ephraim, I view you as my friend, can you handle that you are my friend! There is a possibility that I am going to die, this year, and  the idea of my parents hiding more things from me doesn't make me feel any better," I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

     "You're going to die? How? Why?"

     "I don't know how or Why but I know it's gonna happen this year, something bad is going to happen and it's gonna change my life, I can feel it, it's weird it's all around me the air is thick with tension"

     "And you sound like an English book"

     "Ephraim, I'm telling the truth, something very bad is going to happen and I don't know what" I nodded and suddenly I realized something. She's crazy. 


	4. I told you so

-- Ephraim

                She took me back to school after that. I wasn't completely weirded out but I was pretty damn close. She seemed so normal, maybe it was the normal thing that made her seem weird to me. I went to Ballet practice after school and sat down at the piano. Autumn was standing next to the teacher and they were talking, really it was more like an argument. Autumn seemed pretty pissed off as she sat down next to me at the piano. She put her head on my shoulder and sighed.

     "I didn't freak you out did I?" she spoke as she started to play around with the keys. There was a pause, should I tell her the truth? 

     "Well, no if you don't count the fact that I now have only one fear and that is you and the whole psychic friends network hunting me down and killing me with tarot cards" I spoke as I looked at her, she laughed.

     "You're funny Ephraim Brown," She said as she briefly looked up at me before she went back to playing the song which I had now noticed was the moonlight sonata.

     "So why were you fighting with," I pointed to the teacher. She sighed and stopped playing.

     "I am a leaf," she said as she folded her hands neatly in her lap and smiled.

     "And why is that a bad thing, they could have made you a rock" I said with a half smile as I looked at her, she shrugged.

     "I have been dancing since I could walk, I have been part of several nationally recognized companies including the New York Youth Ballet and the Manhattan Youth Ballet both of which got me featured in a dance magazine, I had a feature in Ballet magazine last month over my moving to this hell hole, they kept talking about my great talent for dance and now I'm a leaf, it's like putting a 750 horse power engine in a pinto,"

     "So go and be the best damn leaf that they have ever seen" 

     "I think I will, I will be the best damn leaf this raggedy ass town has ever seen! Thank you Ephraim" She said before she leaned over and the teacher yelled and her shoulders slumped and she stood and walked over to the bar.

                After their practice was over I hopped on my bike and got home to find no one there. It was empty, no Delia and no Dad. I peered out of the curtains and noticed all of the cars gone out of the Wood's driveway too. I didn't think anything of it and went to sleep.

                I got up the next morning and found that no one was still home, and the cars were still gone from the front of their house. At eight when I was getting ready to leave a toe truck pulled up in front of the Wood's with Autumn's car on it. It was nothing but a twisted hunk of blue metal.

     "Whoa, she is going to be pissed" I said as I adjusted my backpack and looked at the car. The driver's side was almost completely crushed. Then it hit me, Autumn took her car to school but by the looks of it she didn't make it home. I went back in side and started to cry.

                Dad didn't get home until much later in the day. He smiled when he saw me on the couch. He even made an effort to talk to me. He sat next to me and looked at me as I watched some stupid T.V. show about "Teenaged" life and how it is ideally. He picked up the remote turned the T.V. off and looked at me.

     "I know you and Autumn have gotten pretty close in the last two weeks Ephraim, but…" He paused and there was a knock at the door it was Mr. Wood and next to him was Mrs. Wood. "C'mon in Al" Dad called as he looked at them through the screen door.

     "Andy, is she any better?" Mr. Wood asked as he looked at me and then back at my Dad.

     "She woke up but she still can't talk, they think when she hit the steering wheel she might have damaged something" 

    "What happened to Autumn?" I asked as I looked up at my father he and Mr. Wood hung their head and Mrs. Wood walked over. She looked a lot like Autumn there was no mistaking that they were related.

     "Honey, Autumn had a little accident last night, she was driving home from her audition with the ballet when a semi sideswiped her car, She was in a comatose state for a couple of hours but now she's awake, she did however hit her throat on the steering wheel and she might have damaged her larynx" She spoke as she put her hand on my shoulder.

     "So she can't talk," I said as I fought back the tears, she was right something bad was going to happen and it did.

     "It's only bruised Ephraim after two or three weeks she'll be okay, She smiled when she found out she hadn't broken her legs, which is the oddest thing because most people would be upset that they can't talk"

     "Still she can't talk," I screamed before I ran up the steps leaving my dad and her parents to talk.

                The next day I went to Denver with my father to check on Autumn it was a long silent drive. The road seemed endless as I watched the signs go by. But when we got there I knew how Amy had felt. Autumn was laid on the bed with an IV on her finger and tubes running out of her nose. She had her throat bandaged but she was awake. My dad walked in and picked up her chart.

     "Good morning Autumn, I brought Ephraim with me to keep you company while we run the tests" Dad spoke as he watched her furiously write on a dry-erase board

     "How is my car" 

     "I'm sorry Autumn but the car was ruined", She frowned and then started writing again.

_     "Hi Ephraim"_ She wrote with little smilie faces around it. I smiled and waved.

     "I brought something to read to you," I said as I took out a book from my bag. It was 'The Scarlet letter'. We were reading it in English. And I much like Amy used to do read to my slightly incapacitated soon to be significant other. She then started to write again.

_     "I told you so"_ She held it out under my nose and smiled.


	5. The Porch Swing

Autumn—

                I spent a month in the hospital and Ephraim came to visit me every day. Each day he brought me something new like a teddy bear or a plant. After a while I could talk again however, and when I started to talk again people expected things from me even though I couldn't really walk yet. Don't get me wrong I could stand but it was like the muscles were stiff and refused to move. I yawned I was bored, extremely bored. Tomorrow was my first day back at school and I had a lot to catch up on. My mother made a point not to go to work and to baby me as I stood in front of the T.V. and did my ballet stretches. I had just picked up my ankle and was holding it up next to my ear as the doorbell rang.

      "Mom I'm kind of indisposed at the moment" I spoke as I flexed my foot. My mom walked past me and applauded. I laughed and then stood on my toes with my leg still next to my head. It was then that Ephraim came in and smiled. I looked at him and lowered my leg. He stared at me like I was some kind of freak. "What Amy can't put her ankle next to her ear?"

     "I-I've never seen her do it" He spoke as he looked at me I sat back down on the couch and started to take off my toe shoes. "You definitely shouldn't be a leaf" He said as he laughed and walked over next to me.

      "Well, I wish that bitch of a woman agreed with you, she doesn't want me to dance next week, my mother had to offer to teach a class tomorrow for her to let me stay in, I'm probably going to be playing piano more than actually dancing, I'm going to take your job" I said as I poked him. He smiled and looked down at me.

     "I uh… I have the notes from Bio," He said as he pulled out the notebook I picked it up and looked down at it.

     "Why thank you…" I said as I picked up the red and white notebook. I then looked up at him "I still don't have a nick-name for you" I spoke with a smile as I tilted my head to the side. 

     "Well, Amy used to call me Ham… for hamlet but now that has managed to turn into asshole so…"

     "Your funny, I think I'm gonna call you Barney" I said with a twisted smile. He looked at me funny.

      "As in 'is a dinosaur'?" He asked with one eyebrow quaintly raised.

     "No… as in Rubble… you know Flintstone's? Anyways since you didn't get it I guess I could go with Hyde" I said as I sighed and looked at him. I nodded he definitely looked like a Hyde.

     "Hyde? What's that from?"

     "Doctor Jekkyl and Mister Hyde ring a bell? Not many have read it at this lame school so it'll be between us" I smiled he still looked a little lost.

     "Why?"

     "Because like it or not you have two sides and I bet the one you show the world is not your Dr. Jekkle you have a soft sophisticated side… and I intend on viewing it before this year is up" I laughed and he smiled a little. He touched the fresh scar on my back.

     "What's this?" He inquired as he traced it. I shook my head.

     "Your dad, saved my life" I replied very bluntly he ripped his hand back like my skin burned

     "He always does this!"

     "What? Gets to pull the piece of car out of your friends back before you get to?" I said sarcastically as I kicked my legs up on the table he was being so childish "Look Eph… can I call you Eph?" He nodded "Eph… My dad has help countless numbers of my psychotic friends with their neuroses and  I have never gotten pissed when one of my friends tells me that my dad had talked them out of suicide… because A it means my friends will be my friends longer and B I'll get something new like a play station game or I'll get to name another star…. Don't ask" He smiled.

     "It's different your Dad… he's there!"

     "No he's not… My mom is here and if your Mom were still here you wouldn't care either! Look! Drop the notes and go… I'll give them back in the morning… I'll give you a ride to school… My car is better now" I smiled. He nodded and made for the door.

                That night I copied his notes when my mom came home in a rush. She was panicking. She didn't even stop to say hi to me or check on how I was doing she made a line right for the phone. She picked it up and dialed someone's number I didn't hear the whole conversation all I heard was "Andy what am I gonna tell the kids?" She then hung up and phone and shook her head. She smiled at me and walked into the room.

     "Autumn honey… I want you to pack a bag, you're going to go stay with the Browns for a while, Spring is going with you… Summer's. Summer is coming in a week and Winter will be at the Abbots" My mother said as she rushed about.

     "What happened?" I asked as I stood. I was worried I had never seen her like this before.

     "Just pack a bag okay?"  My mother forced a smile and kissed my cheek. "I'll be in Denver for a while… Dr. Brown will explain it for to you I, I can't right now" She said as she shook her head and went about pulling her suit case out of the closet. I went upstairs. "Oh, and don't tell Spring she doesn't need to know yet" my mom called after me. I packed my bag in about an hour and went down stairs to find my mother talking to Dr. Brown in the hall. When I reached the bottom they stopped talking.

    "C'mon Aught I'll help you with your bags" He said as he grabbed my bag. I looked at my mom she dried her eyes and smiled.

    "I'll call you on your cell when I get to Denver" she spoke as she watched me leave. I walked with Dr. Brown over the lawn and across the street. When we got there He closed the door behind him. I looked around the place and then sighed.

    "What's wrong with my dad?" I asked as I shook my head he looked at me and smiled.

    "Just like your father," He shook his head and frowned "I know your smart Aught so I'm not gonna sugar coat it for you, he has an aneurysm, He had to be rushed to the hospital, he's in a coma" I started to cry I then whipped my eyes and looked up at the doctor.

    "Thanks for telling me flat out" I said nodding; he hugged me. Ephraim made his way down the stairs.

    "So you told her?" Eph asked as he shook his head and sat down on the couch.

    "I wanted him to" I said as I walked passed him to the Piano.

     "I have a house call so I'll be back in a minute,  Aught this will be your home for a while so, make yourself comfortable" Dr. Brown spoke as he headed for the kitchen. He grabbed his bag and then headed out the door. Ephraim and I watched in silence, and by silence we mean dead silence not a word was spoken.

                His house was annoying. I was shoved in an extra bedroom next to Ephraim's while Delia and Spring shared a room. Spring didn't know, all she knew was that dead gone to the hospital and mom went too. She was too happy to ask so I didn't tell her. However it was oddly like being at home. Dr. Brown was almost never there he often spent time in his office or helping people. One the tenth day of my stay, I sat down in my room with a small smile on my face as I read a note I had gotten from my mom. She had seen me dance, which was a week ago, and she called me the best damn leaf she had ever seen.

                I was bored with the house and I often found myself in Ephraim's room when he wasn't home ( I quit ballet while I was living with them),flipping through his CD's or reading his comics on his bed. I don't think that he knew that I did it. I of course did this almost everyday and he had no clue and this made me happy. Until of course I did it and Dr. Brown come home early. He opened the door and expected to find Ephraim and instead he found me.

     "Aught, what are you doing in Ephraim's room?" He asked as he looked at me. I stood.

     "I'm sorry I just, I dunno I needed some place away from me I guess, I've been around my things and my self too long, I just needed a little break, I didn't rip anything or destroy anything if that's what your worried about and I have laundry in the washer" I said as I dusted my jeans off and put the comic down. He sighed.

     "I'm not angry with you, there are many worse things you could be doing in his room I guess, next time do me a favor and leave the door open so I know it's you so I don't scare you when I'm angry with him" I nodded. "And he's coming home early, so you might wanna put everything back the way it was" I nodded and started to pick up again.

                Ephraim got home early and when I went down stairs he was there sitting on the couch watching MTV while Spring and Delia played around with Barbies on the floor. I yawned and sat next to him. He looked at me and smiled.

     "You know Amy actually asked where you had been the last couple of days, I told her you were still recovering" I looked up at him.

     "Do you wanna talk on the porch swing?" I asked as I put my head in his lap. He froze almost completely. "So?"  I pried as I grabbed the remote from him and turned off the TV.

    "…sure" He managed to stutter as I sat up. He grabbed his coat and opened the front door. It was dark outside. And it had just started to snow so the thick white flakes fell from the sky like feathers from a broken pillow. He sat on the porch swing and made room for me.

     "The roads are gonna be hell" he said as he watched the snow fall. I leaned against his shoulder.

     "I miss Cleveland, but the more I miss it the more I looked around and decided that it could be worse, and I'm pretty lucky to have what's here, even if my dad might be dying,  at least I have my brother, sister and a good friend"  I said as he started rocking the swing.

     "Friend? Is there room for me to be… a little more?" he said as he looked down at me with the cheesiest grin. I couldn't help but last.

     "Maybe, but probably not now, I mean, just think of the rumors" I said as I nuzzled his neck a bit.

     "Yeah that would be kind of awful, I wouldn't want to ruin what's left of your reputation" He spoke with a sick twisted laugh,

     "What's left?" I inquired as he gazed back at me.

     "Yeah a bunch of people think that you are here because you had my kid or something, No one believes that our parents actually knew each other" It was my turn to laugh,

     "Funny, back in Cleveland no one would believe that I would hang with you other wise, Have you see the way Bright looks at me? Does it make you jealous?" I couldn't help but to asked he shrank back a little and made a face and then smiled again.

     "Yes" he said nodding, "And now that we're on the random question topic, how do you feel when Amy looks at me?" He asked as he watched me I took off my coat and stood. I then laughed a little.

     "It doesn't effect me, I know what went on with you two, I know that you and her did things and it doesn't really phase me" I lied as I watched him he stood up and left back in the house he seemed upset. 


	6. Pizza a Movie and thanksgiving

--Ephram

It was weird having her there all the time. I started to notice things about her that I hadn't noticed before. Her hair wasn't exactly black it was more like the color of cherry coke and her eyes were not just gray they had flex of blue in them. I also noticed that she read a lot and spent a lot of time alone rather than spend it with me, Delia, or Spring. She also had the greatest effect on my moods. More so than Amy ever did, so hearing her say that seeing me and Amy together hadn't effected here hurt some what.

I went inside to find my dad just coming in the side door as Spring and Delia fought over movies. I walked passed the feuding eight year olds and stood in the door of the kitchen. He had brought pizza and per Autumn's request it was vegetarian. I smelled it and then was tapped on the shoulder by the ever so short Autumn. I wasn't exactly pleased with her. However as I looked down into her eyes I couldn't bring any of that anger to surface and I smiled. I literally wanted to beat the mental crap out of my self for it but I still smiled. Dad started talking and Autumn started nodding and speaking but I didn't hear a word as She picked up the pizza and walked into the TV room with it. I followed. She set the pizza on the coffee table and then flopped back on the sofa.

"So did you munchkin's pick a movie yet?" she asked as she crossed her legs. I sat on the arm of the couch and she smiled up at me.

"No, I wanna watch wizard of Oz! And she wants to watch Willie Wonka" Spring said as she held up the DVD of 'The wizard of Oz' which she had remembered to rip from their DVD collection the day she was brought here. I looked at the covers and then remembered that Delia is terrified of Willie Wonka. Before I could even speak Autumn plucked a tape from the rack and tossed it next to the pizza box. It was Snow white.

"There! Now we're going to watch this, now Spring, put the tape in" she said as she sat up cross legged on the couch I yawned. And she looked up at me. "Wanna go somewhere?" she whispered as she smirked.

"Where? I gotta keep an eye on Delia you know" She nodded.

"Right… kids" She said as she tilted her head to the side. "Then do you want to go up stairs and watch a better movie?" She said as she leaned back. I nodded.

We took half of the pizza up stairs and sat on the bed in her room and watched 'From Hell' half way through she fell asleep leaning against me. I didn't even notice it until the movie was over. I then looked around her room. My eyes fell on the calendar. Tomorrow was thanksgiving.

Amazingly this was to be the year when my dad took on the world by having almost the entire town over for thanksgiving. I looked down at Autumn as I thought on this. It wasn't going to work, something was going to go wrong. Even though he wasn't cooking, Summer, Autumn's older sister was bringing the food, she was a caterer and she often did things like this for people. Still something was going to go wrong I knew it simply because it always did. She stirred and her head fell into my lap. I shook her a bit. She stirred and her eyes opened.

"I gotta get back to my room so you're gonna have to get up" I said as she got up and yawned.

"I'm sorry I guess I was more tired than I thought" She said as she smiled. She stood and stretched. I stood and walked back to my room. "Good night" She spoke as she closed the door behind me. I went back to my room and almost instantly fell asleep.

In the morning I was woken up by my father banging on the door telling me to get up because Autumns sister was here and she needed help with her things. So I got up and showered.. I glimpsed the clock on the way out it was 11:26 the people were supposed to be here at three.

I stood at the top of the stairs and watched as a tall blonde woman started bringing bags and boxes in. She looked up at me and smiled.

"C'mon hun don't be shy I need all the extra hands" She said as she waved me down. I stood and gawked at her. She looked like Autumn only she was blonde and had hazel eyes. Autumn still seemed some how better looking however. I followed her out side to a car that was sitting in the driveway. It was an old mustang, late sixties and it was black. "You must be Ephraim" I opened my mouth to say something but she waved her hand. "Autumn told me a little while ago, your dad sent her and the girls to go get cranberry sauce, which I being absent minded forgot!" She laughed a little and opened the trunk and handed me more boxes.

"What's in the boxes?" I asked as I tried to keep my chin above them.

"One has a big thing of stuffing, the other has meat, another has cake, basically.. food" She said as she laughed. She grabbed a couple of bags and slammed the trunk before she took me by the hand and pulled me into the house. "Just put it on the table" She said as she smacked the table. She grinned and pulled her hair into a massive bun on the top of her head like Autumn does when she's about to do some type of work or something. I did as she said. Just then Autumn walked in the door. 

"Sum!" She screamed as she ran to her sister and gave her a hug. She then yawned.

"You probably don't remember a lot of things but you and Ephram were bathed together when you were like two" Summer said laughing. I felt my face get hot I was blushing.

"What a greeting" Autumn said with a laugh as she looked at me with a smile.

"Well I try to be as creative as possible" Summer said as she tussled Autumns hair. Summer was taller by a couple of inches. "After all I only see you five days out of the whole year, now I have to get to the kitchen" She said as she grabbed Spring by the hand and pulled her into the kitchen with Delia behind her.

"She seems cool now but wait till we start fighting, it always happens, she hates me" Aught spoke with a smile as she looked up at me.

"Doesn't seem that way"

"Yeah well, me and her are four years apart, There's too much of an age difference between us" She said as she leaned against the wall. She then sighed and flipped her hair "Just promise me that if I start to go for a knife if she says anything that you'll stop me"

"I'll try but I don't necessarily want to be between you and the blade of a knife" I said as she looked up at me and laughed.

"Just keep me from making a scene" she spoke as she smiled and walked into the kitchen.

Two rolled around rather fast and all of us kids were told to get up stairs and change. I didn't feel like it but it seemed rather worth it to see Autumn walk out of the bathroom with hair wet and a towel wrapped around her. She stuck her tongue out at me as we passed each other in the hall.

I took my shower and got changed. She walked into my room while I was tieing my tie. She sat down on my bed and then fell over. She was actually semi-dressed up in parent pleasing appearel. She had on a long black dress that managed to hover between formal and in formal. I was wearing my favorite red botton down shirt and matching tie. I turned around and looked at her.

"You know my dad is gonna come in here and wanna know why you're on my bed" I said as I looked at her. She smiled and shook her head.

"Then tell him I'm recovering from our hours of passionate love making that we managed to fit in somewhere between breakfast and lectures about how to arrange carrots on top of stuffing" She said with a grin as she covered her face. I couldn't help but to laugh but it was an awkward laugh because in all truths that's what I wanted.

"I think we should get down stairs" I said as I turned around and looked at her. She shook her head.

"Can't I just hide in here?" She said as she pouted.

"No C'mon, if it gets bad, look at it this way you can always lock yourself in the closet" I smiled she smiled and stood.

"If I blow up at my sister you are aware that it'll be all your fault" She said as she started for the door I followed her.

"Yes, I am wear of this, and I will take full responcibiliy for anything that gets broken" I said as we made our way down the stairs.


	7. A kiss, a broken nose, and other holiday...

-- Autumn

They watched us walk down the stairs. People were already here I couldn't believe it. Amy leaned smugly against the piano talking to her friend Regis who was checking out my brother. Regis seemed annoying to me already even though I had never spoken to her. I walked away from Ephram and over to the piano. I sat down and instantly started playing while the other guests started arriving. I honestly don't know where Ephram went and my mind wasn't on him as I played. I was simply focusing on how to keep myself occupied and not kill my sister. I really didn't like her. It was odd but it seemed almost as though she wanted to make my life miserable. I played every song I could possibly think of. I sat in front of the piano for almost an hour. It was then that Regis walked over and smiled.

"Hey so you're the new girl?" She asked with as smile I stopped playing and looked up at her.

"Yes, I am the new girl, but I have a name too, it's Autumn" I said as I looked back at the keys and went back to playing.

"So! You're Winter's sister right?" She asked as I went back to playing.

"Yes, I am"

"He's really cute do you think I have a chance?" 

"It depends how fast you're willing to drop your skirt for him" She looked completely applaud. 

"Now I see why Amy doesn't like you" 

"No... Amy doesn't like me because I took away her squeaky toy" I stopped playing and smiled.

"Squeaky toy?"

"I took her ex-boyfriend, now go before I do something mean" I spoke as I went back to playing. She nodded and walked away.

After I had finished the song Ephram walked over and sat next to me. He simply watched me play and it made me so nervous that I messed up and he looked at me with a smile. After I had finished we both looked at each other and laughed.

"you need a break" he said as he handed me a cup of eggnog. I sniffed it and then sipped, it was alcohol free. He then started playing, it was something from the Opera Carmen that's all I knew. It had that under rhythm in it.

After I finished the cup I set it on top of the piano and looked at him for a moment. I then got up and walked over to where my sister was standing her and Dr. Brown were talking mostly about my dad. I didn't even have to get all that close to hear. He didn't think my dad was going to come out of it this year. I sighed and turned around to find Bright.

"Hey there Autumn, what's up?" He asked grinning

"Nothing." I said as I offered a small polite smile.

"So, I saw you in the ballet, you were good" He said as he smiled at me. I almost laughed,

"Yeah, thanks, I have to go do something so I'll see you later" I said as I slipped out into the kitchen. To find Summer warming stuffing in the over. She smiled when she saw me.  I was completely amazed that in a span of seconds she was able to get from the living room to the kitchen. I was also up set mostly because thanksgiving was never like this. At home mom would take time to make all our favorite dishes and we would sit around the good table with the good silver just the six of five of us depending if dad was there or not and we would sit as a family and eat. Now that was a rare thing for people now and now I knew why so many people took to the bottle during get-togethers. It was harder to avoid people you don't like when a whole lot of them were shoved into such a small area, and it's easier to get along with those people if you're drunk. I grabbed a carrot sick off of a tray and left the kitchen. I walked back over to where Ephram was playing and sat down next to him.

Just watching him play was intoxicating to me. He moved his body a bit to the rhythm like he could feel the music, it intrigued me. He then stopped and looked at me. He leaned towards me and I leaned forward and started play a piece by Chopin. It reminded me of something that my ex-boyfriend told me before he was killed in the car accident. Chopin often gave lessons to young women whom he wanted to gain the favor of so he often played some of his pieces with them modified into duets so the pupil would have to reach over and often brush his hand while playing. I was playing Polonaise in C minor it was my ex's favorite piece to play. I had the whole thing memorized but the music sat on the stand and Ephram watched it taking almost no mind to me as he stared playing the second part on it. We brushed hands when we were near the pieces end. And that's when it happened. We stopped playing and our eyes locked. We were instantly pulled together and then our lips met.

It all went down hill from there. We really stared to make out on the piano bench. Everyone was staring at us. When the last kiss broke Amy shook her head and started to leave. Ephram noticed this and stood. Her called after her and walked out to the porch behind her. I felt my heart sink. I sighed and decided to follow. I stood in the threshold of the porch door and listened.

"Amy, I...I'm sorry" Ephram stated as Amy stood on the stairs zipping up her coat. She watched him for a moment tears in her eyes.

"Sorry for what Ephram you have nothing to be sorry about, I have Colin now why would I need someone like you?" She spoke as she started off.

"Amy!" Ephram called from the bottom stair she ignored him and kept walking. He turned around and saw me. I had felt my eyes go dry. I wanted to try but I was holding it back with all my power. I took a deep ragged breath. And then I sighed.

"I, I know how this seems Autumn but I-" I stopped him and shook my head

"You what? Never mind I don't care, you go and you kiss me, and then you run after Amy and tell her you're sorry?" I laughed "Ephram, you're pathetic, Why the hell do you care what Amy thinks or how Amy feels, you and Amy are over, even though I now see that you haven't caught on to this... you know what.. if you care about Amy's opinion so damn much go and kiss her, maybe I'll get lucky and Colin will run you over with his truck" I screamed so loud the people in side probably heard it. I had a knot in my throat the size of Texas as I walked back inside. Everyone was watching me as I held my elbows and went up the stairs with my head lowered.

I didn't go back down. I didn't eat, but that was really nothing seeing as I couldn't bring myself to eat. I watched all the guests leave from the window. I sat holding my book in my hands. I sighed and there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" I called as I looked up at the door.

"It's Ephram"

"Go away" I cried as I went back to reading.

" I just want to talk" I tossed my book on the bed and stood walking over to the door. I opened it and punched him in the nose. I heard cartilage break.

"I'm sorry Ephram but that's all the talking I can do right now" I spoke before closing the door. All I heard for the rest of the night was Ephram out side of my door crying, probably holding his nose. I cared and it hurt to know that I put him like that but on one level I felt like he deserved it completely.

How ever it simply made the few days after worse. Ephram walking around with a bandage on his nose while my older sister bummed it on the couch. Everyday was living hell. I didn't leave my room to do anything other than to get food for three days. It was then that I decided what I was going to do. I woke up late it was Sunday and everyone was still asleep or at least I thought so as I walked down stairs and sat next to my sister on the couch she was already awake and watching T.V.

"I think I wanna go live with you in Denver, maybe" I said as I looked at her the offer had always been there she told my mom that on the phone the first week we got here. But that's when I heard it, a glass shattered I turned around to find Ephram standing in the doorway with his jaw open. He left the room and I ran after avoiding the glass. I found him in the kitchen in black and blue plaid pajama pants and a Metalica t-shirt.

"What was that about?" I asked as I sat next to him. He was sitting down at the kitchen table he was staring into a tablemat.

"Why do you want to go?"

"Why did you run after Amy on thanksgiving?" He took a deep breath and looked over at me.

"I had kissed you and I was in shock, my entire mind was wow, and then I looked up and I saw her sad and I don't know what actually happened but next thing I knew I was up and walking after her, but I really didn't know why I did it all I knew was that I did it and then next thing I remember is you standing in that door way and, you just looked at me and I had never felt worse in my life" our eyes locked.

"I want to go because, besides you Ephram Brown... my Hyde there is nothing here for me, and now I know that your not even fully here for me... But I'm really sorry for breaking your nose... I was just so pissed off"

"I wanted to leave last year too, me and Amy had gotten into I guess you could call it a fight and I"

"Save it I know what you're gonna say, but I'm still thinking of leaving, I'm not my self here, and I don't think I have shown anyone who I really am since we drove passed the whole welcome to Everwood sign" I then put my head on his shoulder and started to cry. "I just want it all to go back to how it was, but with you, I want my old life back and I want you, I want to be popular again and I want to have my parents together I want my room back, I want it all to be the same" he wrapped his arms around me. It was weird having him hold me like that. For the first time since my dad was put in the hospital I felt like everything was going to be alright.


End file.
